noun
Java water dropwort; Japanese parsley
A perennial herb of the parsley family, often used in Japanese cuisine, especially in spring dishes like nanakusa-gayu.
春の七草の一つにセリがあります。
One of the seven spring herbs is seri (Java water dropwort).
セリの葉は独特の香りがします。
The leaves of seri have a distinctive aroma.
Rare kanji variant.
The origin of the word せり is uncertain. It may be related to the verb 競る (せる, 'to compete'), as the plant grows vigorously in clusters, but this is speculative.